Have you used the Admiral Nurse Helpline? If you’re facing the challenges of dementia and feeling overwhelmed and in need of guidance and support, then the Admiral Nurse helpline is an easily accessible resource available to people living with dementia, caregivers and their families.
The Admiral Nurse Helpline is a nurse-led helpline that specialises in providing practical advice and specialist dementia support. The helpline team is made up of specialist dementia nurses known as Admiral Nurses who are trained in dementia care. They can offer expert advice and emotional support, helping you navigate dementia care, offer a listening ear and provide emotional support for both people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Related: 9 Things you should know (but probably don’t) about Admiral Nurses!
Why Choose The Admiral Nurse Helpline?
The helpline provides a safe space to discuss your concerns and receive practical advice tailored to your unique situation. They offer advice from diagnosis right through to end-of-life care, and most importantly, it’s confidential so you can discuss any concerns you may have without judgement and provide you with actionable steps that can help you and your specific situation.
The breadth of knowledge they have is amazing, years of experience in dementia care right there for you to access for support. Whatever your concern is, you can turn to the helpline because it’s staffed by nurses with a specialism in dementia care and they really have faced most scenarios that you could possibly present!
Do I Have To Pay To Use The Admiral Nurse Helpline?
No, the Admiral Nurse Helpline is a free and confidential service, meaning that you can access the help you need without any financial burden. Accessing support through the helpline can make a significant difference in the lives of caregivers. It offers a compassionate and knowledgeable source of assistance, helping you work through the issues you have with dementia care and providing you with the confidence and reassurance you need.
The helpline operates throughout the UK and is completely free of charge, ensuring that support is accessible to all those who need it, so no matter where you are located, you can reach out for help.
Preparing for the Admiral Nurse Helpline
You don’t need to prepare beforehand. You can initiate the discussion straight away, but if you have time, it may be worth jotting down some thoughts to ensure you remember to get out everything you want advice on. Consider:-
- Writing down any questions or concerns you have
- Gathering any relevant information or documentation
- Ensuring you have a quiet and comfortable space to have the conversation
What to Expect During the Interaction
When you contact the Admiral Nurse Helpline, you can expect personalised support, guidance, compassion and understanding. An Admiral Nurse will listen to your concerns and offer not just practical support but much needed emotional support so you know that you’re not alone in your struggle.
How to Contact the Admiral Nurse Helpline?
You can contact the Admiral Nurse Helpline in multiple ways to suit your needs. You can call the helpline, but if you prefer written communication, you can either email them or complete their web form with preset questions asking for information about you.
By Phone
You can call the helpline on 0800 888 6678 and talk directly with an Admiral Nurse, and if the number is busy you can leave a message with their aim to respond to all calls within 48hrs.
By Email
You can send an email raising any concerns or issues you have by emailing them at helpline@dementiauk.org
By Webform
They also have a web-based form accessible on the Dementia UK website that you can complete. The information you provide can help them determine how to help you and also find services that may be local to you that could help. Click here to access!
Opening Times
Monday to Friday 9am-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm
Open bank holidays (9am-5pm), except 25th December
How the Admiral Nurse Helpline Helps
The Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline plays a crucial role in providing support to families dealing with the challenges of dementia. By reaching out to the Admiral Nurse Helpline, you can gain access to valuable resources and information that can empower you to provide the best possible care for your loved ones.
Case Study – Our Story
My mum has Alzheimer’s, is wheelchair bound and as readers of this blog know, has incontinence issues. Last year, we’d exhausted all the options available from our local doctor to determine the cause of mum’s problems.
We were referred to the hospital for her to undergo a colonoscopy to rule out cancer. A colonoscopy is where a small camera on a thin tube is inserted in the bowel to look for any abnormalities or growths (polyps) within the bowel.
I was having a particular problem with the consultant we were referred to. He really didn’t want mum to go through the procedure arguing if they did find cancer would you really go ahead with the next steps given mum’s frailty and dementia.
I called the Admiral Nurse helpline for advice and to a wonderful nurse named Jean, who reassured me about how the procedure would work, considerations like dehydration and how able a loved one is to use the toilet over the long period that the laxatives need to work. She advised me of things that I would never have thought of myself.
More importantly, she helped me deal with the guilt and stress. We have this issue that some doctors don’t want someone with dementia to undergo certain procedures not only because of risk, but because they have dementia. They make you feel guilty for trying to get the best care you can. It feels like sometimes they write mum off, but her quality of life can improve with certain procedures.
She helped reassure me, to think through questions that I could go back to the doctor with so we could make a more informed decision. I’m grateful to her to this day, because that doctor dragged his heels on getting mum a colonoscopy booked, but why should mum not be treated, and if it was bowel cancer the earlier that it was caught, the more likely treatments could work.
The Admiral Nurse helpline provided me with the confidence and reassurance to challenge the doctor, explained issues that I needed to consider for someone living with dementia undergoing a colonoscopy, and gave me a more positive outlook on the whole situation.
Conclusion
The helpline is there to provide you with the support and guidance you need to ensure that you have the resources you need to care for your loved one with dementia.
The Admiral Nurse Helpline can empower caregivers with information, tools, reassurance, steps to try – basically tailored advice to your specific problem as well as signposting you to local support in your area where applicable.
For me, the emotional support they can give caregivers can help you feel heard, understood, and supported throughout your caregiving issues. It was a source of comfort for me to have that listening ear for however long it took me to explain my issues (there’s no time limit on the call).
It’s well worth contacting if you’re dealing with any issues around dementia care. I hope this article has helped you in making a decision to reach out to the Admiral Nurse Helpline.
Share this information with others who may benefit from the support offered by the Admiral Nurse helpline.
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